One Last Kiss
by GlissGirl99
Summary: Link and Zelda are having last minute jitters as they prepare for their big day. After months and months of planning, it's finally here! Will they talk themselves out of it, or will they stay fully committed? And maybe (just maybe!) there is more to this wedding than there seems... Oneshot! Modern Hyrule!


**I know I'm managing a million and ten things right now, but I had an idea for a one shot! It's one of those things that you wake up in the middle of the night and scribble in your writing notebook. I have moments like that a lot, but most of them are a little ridiculous because it's 2 am whenever I write it! XD This one, I thought, ended up being ridiculously okay enough to see the light! XD Enjoy my 2 am impulses and please be sure to check out my other work too! :)**

**Update: Sorry for the awkward update! I know I just posted this story, but there were a few errors that I needed to fix. Thanks for your understanding!**

**Disclaimer: I might own the Zelda series, I might not. I'm leaning more toward the latter. What do you think?**

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**(Link's POV)**

I was combing my hair for the millionth time when my friend Pipit walked in. I wasn't usually so nit-picky about my appearance, but today was the big day. And I was nervous. VERY nervous! Zelda and I had planned this for months and I had those last minute tummy-butterflies. I think I actually got those when we first arranged this though!

"Dude you look sick," Pipit said. "And not the good sick, it's more like the _sick_ sick. You can't puke now! Not when you're all fancied up!"

I rolled my eyes. I was not getting sick. "This is just such a big decision for me and-"

"YOU ARE NOT BACKING OUT NOW!" He yelled, his words reverberating around the dressing room. "Zelda is in the Waiting Room, well, waiting for you! And, oh boy, does she look hot!"

"Why is she waiting for me? Isn't it bad luck if I see her before-"

"Nah! You'll be fine!" He reassured. "But you better get out there soon because when the girl is ready before the guy...it doesn't look super manly on your part!"

I rolled my eyes at my friend, again. "Well maybe I'm more of the sensitive type. And maybe that's one of the reasons we're together! Besides, she started getting ready like 3 hours before I did!"

"Your woman is out there for you!" Pipit reminded me once more. "Ignore the butterflies! You two decided that you really wanted this, right? Aren't your families depending on this?"

I glared at him. "Families? Um, hello? _Orphan?!_" I felt bad for the outburst, but it's not like my dead parents/ancestors cared about what I did or will do. "Besides, I don't actually know if I really do want to go through with this... It was mainly, actually it was fully, her parents' idea!"

This time Pipit rolled his eyes at me. "You are such a nervous wreck. Stop lying to yourself and go out there!"

I started with baby steps to the door. Pipit obnoxiously hovered over me until he completely shoved me into the hall and slammed the door behind me. I heard a _click_ and knew he locked it. Maybe if there was somewhere I could hide, I wouldn't have to go through with this...?

"Link!" someone shouted from behind me. My eyes widened with recognition then scrunched with humiliation, and I turned with hesitation. The girl who stood in front of me now was Ilia, my childhood sweetheart, who always seemed to still be a little sweet on me. What was she even doing here? Who invited her? I didn't!

"Oh wow!" She said, practically swooning. "You look _dashing_ tonight!"

"Well I'm kind of dashing to see Zelda!" I told her, trying to avoid an awkward conversation.

Ilia giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're funny! Obviously you weren't in a hurry! Do you have last minute jitters?"

"No I-" I reached up to play with my hat, which wasn't there because it wasn't "professional".

"Trying to find a hat to play with?" Ilia noted. Because we knew each other since we were children, she knew I had a bad habit of playing with the hats I wore on my head (and I always wore a hat!) whenever I was nervous.

"I am 100 percent committed to go through with this!" I confirmed with her.

"Mmm-hmm! Sure you are!" She said unbelievingly. "Isn't that what you said when you tried to ask Zelda out for the first time?"

I groaned. She knew my whole history with Zelda because after our "childhood relationship" got awkward, we stuck to being just friends. We found that it actually worked out better that way. Both of us just needed to see other people. That way, we actually stayed friends through college. Afterwards...not so much. "Well I went through with it, didn't I?" I said, returning to our conversation.

"It took you five times! Five!" She exclaimed, holding up her five fingers. "Oh! And don't even get me started on how many times it took for you to even talk to her for the first time!"

I furrowed my brows. "It wasn't that many!"

Ilia raised her brows, challengingly. "Wanna bet? I had to introduce you to her, myself! And then all you said was, 'Hi'. All I knew was that I was tired of hearing, 'Dude, she's so hot,' every five seconds."

"Hey!" I shouted. "At least I asked her to marry me in one try. All by myself!" At this point I think it's safe to say that Zelda and I were one of those friends-from-college-turned-couple, couples.

"And look where that's gotten you now!" She retorted. Her snarky remarks stopped and her face softened. "I just want what's best for you. You were my best bud up to college and I miss those days. A lot."

I suddenly started feeling bad for all the regret I first had when I started talking to her today. It had been so long since I had last seen her, and I was starting to feel guilty. "Ilia, I'm sorry for such the long time. It's just when Zelda and I-"

"No, no!" She said. "I get it! Just know that I am still here if you even care for me anymore, just know that I still have feelings for you." Saying something like that must have been so hard for her, but I couldn't reciprocate any of those things. I truly did have feelings for Zelda, regardless of everything going on. And honestly, I hadn't thought about Ilia for quite some time now.

"I will surely keep you in mind and will make sure not to lose touch," I awkwardly stated.

"I understand," Ilia acknowledged. "You need to be with Zelda now! And I mean _now_! She's waiting for you in the lobby!"

"Pipit told me she was in the Waiting Room!" I told her.

Ilia shook her head. "Last I saw she was in the lobby. I saw her just before I came to see you. She looked stunning! Anyway, you should probably go talk to her soon!"

"Thanks Ilia! I'll see you after the ceremony!" I called after her as I darted down the halls. No more stops. No more distractions. I could not keep Zelda waiting any longer.

When I found the lobby, sure enough Zelda was sitting there staring at her feet. "Zelda!" I cried out to her.

"Link!" She returned, standing up from her seat. I ran over to her and embraced her in a big hug. Everyone around us seemed uncomfortable with our physical contact. There weren't too many people around though. It was mainly her relatives, and distant relatives at that.

We both pulled back from the embrace awkwardly. "Maybe we should go somewhere more private?" She suggested.

"Outside?" I offered.

"Sounds great!" She replied, smiling. We ran down the halls together, her in her white heels, me in my _very masculin_e man heels. It was only in the natural lighting that I was able to fully drink in her beauty.

Her blonde hair was loosely curled and had a white ribbon headband in it. I was half-expecting an up-do, but curls were more her style. She also wore a white wedding dress, which was tradition for this occasion. Her sleeves were long and came off the shoulder. The bodice had a modest v-neck neckline and hugged her curves tightly. Her skirts were slim without seeming tight, and long and elegant. There was however, no train nor veil to go along with the dress, for this was not traditional.

"You look gorgeous," I told her. Her expression hardened.

"Link you know-"

"I know! But when they told me you were 'stunning' and 'hot' I was expecting..."

She made a face. "Something less?"

"Something still beautiful, but not at all what I am seeing now. Your beauty compares to nothing I have ever seen!"

"Link! Stop it!" She chided, this time playfully though. "You're making me blush! But it's not like this is the first time you've seen me all fancied up before!"

I took that into consideration. "I know! It just seems that everyday that passes by your beauty continues to grow." A breeze blew and filled the air with a sudden sadness. I felt my stomach tugging at me again. After seeing her like this, I just couldn't do it.

She must have read my expression because she said, "I know. I don't want to go through with this either. I love you."

Alright, PAUSE!

At this point, any normal human would be so utterly confused that they might want to stop reading. Well before they (I wonder who that mysterious "they" is?) do, let me clarify some things first. I am not a normal human. I am a Hylian. And our traditions and rituals may be a little bit different from humans'. I should start from the beginning, changing what you think you know and filling in the holes.

1. My name is Link Ordon. ("Hi Link...") My parents both died when I was young, just after my little sister Aryll was born. They were not millionaires or billionaires. They were not worth any significant monetary status at all. They simply died in an accident, I did not become any sort of "Dark Knight," and I moved on with my life. And by moving on, I moved in with Pipit, my next door neighbor, whose parents gladly took me and my sister in.

2. That actually had nothing to do with the things I'm about to tell you, but I thought you should get to know me first.

3. Just as Ilia and I discussed earlier (and I briefly explained) Zelda and I met in college, became friends, and started dating. After both of us had gotten our degrees, I finally got up the courage to ask her to marry me.

4. (Here's the kicker!) About year and a half ago we got married and lived a happy, simple life together. We opened a bakery, which wasn't the most exciting thing in the world, but we made decent money off of it. And we enjoyed what we did because we were together.

5. Zelda's parents were not too overly find of me (and I wasn't of them either) and barely even approved our marriage in the first place. Unlike my parents, Zelda's were the rich, high class, showy type and expected her to get married to someone less "common". (This is the 21st century! I should not still be stereotyped as "common".) Once her father heard about the business we had started and how simple we were living, he was furious! But Zelda never wanted the lifestyle her parents had planned in the first place. When they saw the common person I was turning Zelda into, they demanded a divorce immediately. Neither of us wanted to go through with it, but we were blackmailed (and you wonder how people like them become successful...) when her father told us that if we didn't, he would stow her away where she would never be found, and never be happy. As for me, he just said, "Do you really want to hear he future I've got planned for you?" and I my inner chicken came out.

So there you have it! Our story! We're getting divorced today! Oh wait... You must be wondering why the wedding dress and the ceremony and all of these things, right? Well Hylians make a big deal out of divorces. It's weird, but as some sort of anti-wedding we practically have a second wedding. Similar dress and formalities, but the ceremony is _completely different!_ (That was my sarcasm.) Does that make more sense? Still weirded out by our tradition? Humans always are. I'm weirded out by your need to celebrate "Thanksgiving" and "Valentine's Day" and other stupid things annually. Do you really need a day to prove you're thankful/or loving? Why isn't that everyday?!

Now I believe we are completely caught up! I will unpause the story now.

I reached out and touched Zelda's cheek. "I love you too. I don't think I will be able to stand going a day without you."

She looked around nervously. "Link, if anyone sees us here, we're dead! Our cover is blown! We're supposed to be getting a divorce because we don't like each other anymore!"

I looked around after she did. "No one can see us, and if they can, they'll probably just thinking we're saying some last-minute goodbyes."

"We are saying some last-minute goodbyes," Zelda said. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Don't cry!" I told her. "It'll ruin your makeup!"

She burst into tears. "I don't care, Link! I don't care what I look like! I don't want to do this!" She wrapped her arms around me, buried her face in my chest, and sobbed heavily.

"Zellie," I used her goofy nickname. "Remember what your father threatened?"

She picked her head up and looked me dead in the eyes. "I would rather die locked up, knowing I am married to my best friend then be divorced and forced to marry some rich snob, whom I despise!"

Her devotion moved me. Honestly. The fact that anyone could actually love someone like me, some common orphan like me, astounded me. I wiped the tears from her face and gazed into my soon-to-be ex-wife's eyes. Even though she faintly reminded me of a clown with her smeary makeup, she was still the most beautiful woman I knew.

I kissed her lips for what we both knew was the last time. It was not passionate, for we both feared of getting caught by someone and explaining ourselves, but it was the best kiss I'd ever had. It had meaning. Feeling. Emotion. A few seconds of it, but that was all I needed.

"Link," she muttered after pulling away from the kiss. "We can run away together. Never have to face my parents again."

I shook my head. "But what about our business? How could we make money?"

"We're both college graduates! Surely one of us is smart enough to do something other than baking!" She said without any tears.

"Maybe _one_ of us is!" I teased.

"Hey!" She said in defiance.

"I didn't say who!" I justified.

She giggled for a second then looked off into the distance. Her sad expression replaced the happy one she had for just a second. "If we're going to run away, should we do it now?"

"Zelda," I said her name firmly. "We can't just run away from all of our problems. What happened to dying, knowing you were my wife?"

"I don't wanna die!" She exclaimed.

"And I don't wanna find out what your father has in mind for me!" I returned. "But surely we can think of something else!"

There was a long silence before Zelda spoke again. "I'm pregnant."

"What?!" I exclaimed. My heart raced in my chest. This was not the news I was expecting before our divorce. "Are you being serious?!"

Zelda looked at me with her saddened crystal blue eyes. "No. I'm not actually pregnant. But what if that was our excuse to stay married?"

I contemplated that thought. "I think your father would still force you to divorce me, but he would rush you even faster into getting married to someone else instead."

Zelda sighed and I sighed with her. "There's nothing we can do," she said hopelessly. "Let's just get this over with."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't think of anything reassuring to say. I closed it and looked at her sadly. Even if her father was going to force her to get remarried, I never would. And I especially wasn't going to take Ilia up on her offer. It was hard to feel such pain and not be able to share it with anyone except Zelda, but her pain was also eating her from the inside out. And that just made my pain worse.

"Are you guys done?" A familiar and despised voice boomed behind us. I jumped 10 feet in the air and spun around to see Zelda's father. "It's time to go in. Oh and Zelda, darling, I have a few suitors picked out who came to the divorcement. I think it would be in your best interest to share a dance or a drink with them at the reception."

We followed him inside and a bunch more people than just her relatives were in the lobby now. They all awkwardly stared at us as we awkwardly walked side by side. We passed Pipit, who waved at me, and Ilia, who winked at me. Many of our other friends were there smiling and going along with everyone else, just as unknowing to the backstory as the next guy.

"Zellie!" Midna ran up to her best friend. "You look awful! What happened to your makeup? I spent so much time on it!"

Zelda shrugged. "Link and I were just overwhelmed with tears of joy. We both really want this." Her voice was so calm and casual, it almost hurt.

The shadowy woman looked at me as if she just noticed I was there for the first time. "Oh! Hi Link! You look very handsome! I would say handsome enough to make some girls jealous of Zelda, but I guess now they don't have to be!" She laughed at her joke and out of politeness Zelda and I did too.

"I should be able to fix your makeup if we go to your dressing room quickly," Midna addressed Zelda again. "Come on! Let's go! Bye Link!"

As they were about to run off, I grabbed the Twili's arm and asked if I could come too. She said sure, even though she thought it was a weird request since it was our divorcement. We ran up to Zelda's dressing room, where she sat in one of those spinning chair things in front of a mirror, and Midna spun her so that her back was to the mirror.

"I don't think I want to go through with this," Zelda admitted to her friend.

Midna laughed as she grabbed a wipe and removed her smudged eye makeup. "What are you talking about, silly?! Of course you want to look beautiful for this! And hopefully you can catch a cute guy's eye at the reception!"

Zelda and I awkwardly looked at each other. "No, Midna," Zelda said. "I don't want to go through with the divorce."

Midna stopped what she was doing and looked at both of us. "Why wouldn't you want to divorce him? Obviously you two don't like each other anymore! I mean, on the invitation it even said, 'I guess it just wasn't meant to be!'"

"Is it really that obvious that we don't like each other?" Zelda asked.

Midna furrowed her brows. "Well not really, actually. You've cried and you're saying you don't want to do this, and then Link came up here with you, and- Wait! Noooo! You guys don't still love each other do you?"

Zelda and I shared another glance. Midna was Zelda's best friend throughout high school and college, where I met her. Even to this day they are still very close and have "Girls' Day Out" often. Midna and I became friends too through Zelda, and I knew her strange sense of humor and her ridiculous giggle/laugh all too well. She was a great person, and we both knew we could trust her. We told her our whole ordeal about the divorce.

I half-expected Midna to say something goofy, but she just quietly said, "I'm sorry." Then after a few seconds of silence the punch line came. "There goes my dance with Link!"

Zelda sighed. "Or maybe not. The divorcement is still on, and you fixed my makeup, so I guess I have to get used to a life without him!" Her eyes started watering again.

Midna looked at her disapprovingly. "Zelda, honey, if you feel like you are going to cry, grab a tissue and dab your eyes. Here, I'll help you!" She started dabbing Zelda's eyes and then handed the tissue to the blonde to try out for herself. "Dab. Softly. There you go! Much better!" I shot her a look. "What? I still care about your situation, but I am not reapplying her makeup for the third time!"

"What are we going to do, Middie?!" Zelda exclaimed, using Midna's goofy nickname.

Midna let out a breath. "I don't know. Oh wait! Maybe you could-? No... Or what about-! That wouldn't work either... If ideas were money, I'd be broke right now."

I grabbed Zelda's right hand with my left and interlocked our fingers. Then, I grabbed Midna's left with my right, and she completed the circle by grabbing Zelda's hand.

"Goddesses above," I prayed. "If you can hear me, please direct our actions that we may choose what's best for us. Please help us that we may find a solution to our situation."

Zelda spoke. "Please help us that whatever that choice may be, we will be able to persevere and make it through. Even if there are any difficult roads ahead."

"Um...Goddesses?" Midna addressed. We all knew she was not a religious person. "I don't know if you're there or if you're listening, but please help these two wonderful people that they can stay together. I know I don't talk to you guys, but this is my one request."

The simplicity of the prayer filled us with hope and love and we all started crying together as we unlocked our hands. Zelda and Midna both grabbed tissues and as Midna dabbed her own eyes, she reminded Zelda, "Dab, sweetie, dab!" over and over. Then we got all wrapped up in a big hug and stayed that way until we heard a knock on the door.

"10 minutes until the ceremony," the voice said. "Everyone should be in their places."

With one last nervous glance, we all exited the dressing room, and I followed the man to a church-looking room filled with pews filled with people. He told me to take a seat on the stand, and that I would be cued by the priest, who was performing the ceremony, to stand up later.

As I was sitting there in front of all the people who were conversing with one another as if this was just some other ordinary divorcement, I offered one last silent prayer to the goddesses. Suddenly, the big doors to the room opened and everyone silenced.

Zelda walked down the aisle, her arm linked with her father's, as the Divorce March played. Really it was just the Wedding March backwards. She slowly made their way to the stand and her father took his seat when he reached his pew. Once she was actually on the stand, the priest gave me the cue, and I stood up.

"Here today, we are joined together to witness a special event in these two young ex-lovers' lives..." The priest said. He continued giving this long and boring speech, but I was mainly focusing on Zelda and trying to cry in front of everyone. Zelda apparently couldn't hold back her urge to cry though because her mascara was running so fast it was practically sprinting. I could still hear echoes of Midna whispering, "Dab, Zellie, dab!"

I stared at Zelda and then out toward the congregation, which I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to do, when I heard the man's dialogue come to a halt. I turned to face him and I knew what he was going to say next.

"Do you, Zelda Harkinian Ordon, no longer take Link Ordon to be your husband?" He asked the famous question.

With a deep and shaky breath she said, "I do," and pulled off my wedding ring.

"Do you, Link Ordon, no longer take Zelda Harkinian Ordon to be your wife?"

"I-I," I stuttered. "I don't."

The man continued as if he didn't hear me, but the people in the congregation obviously did with their strange whispering. "You may now shake each other'a han-" He cut himself off. "Short, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, earring-wearing man, _say what?_"

"Umm..." I started. "I don't want to divorce her." Zelda shot me a nervous glance and I knew I was treading in shark infested waters now, but I continued anyway. "I met this woman in college and I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her, she was something special. And when I finally worked up the nerve to talk to her, I immediately recognized that she was!

"Zelda Harkinian became my best friend and once we started dating, I knew she was the one. Our wedding was the best night of my life, and I wouldn't give that up for anything. The one and a half years that we have been married have been the best one and a half years of my life, and I wouldn't give them up either. Not even if it meant facing the consequences of not following the directions to our blackmail."

The congregation simultaneously gasped and I looked at Mr. Harkinian, who began to seem very nervous. Hopefully publicly denouncing him could save our marriage. "Zelda's very own father was the source of this divorce," I explained. Any immature man without a filter would blurt out, "Hey that rhymed!" and matching that description, I interrupted my own thoughts for that statement.

I awkwardly cleared my throat. "Zelda Ordon and I are still a very happy couple, but because I was too common, Mr. Harkinian could not allow us to be together. I was turning his daughter into a common girl too, regardless of the fact that she was content with her life and following her dreams. He demanded a divorce or she would be locked away forever and I would face something much, much worse!"

Another moment for the congregation to gasp at. The priest spoke up first. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, Mr. Harkinian?"

Zelda's dad looked around nervously. "The boy lies. That was one of the reasons Zelda actually told me she wanted to divorce him, right Honey?" Zelda looked to me for help. I smiled at her encouragingly and mouthed, "Say it."

My wife began to talk. "Link speaks the truth. I still love him. And he doesn't even know the worst of it. My father threatened to stage a little 'accident' for him if we didn't get divorced. But now that the truth is out, I would like to continue to spend the rest of my life with Link!"

This time the congregation was split between "awing" and gasping. A police woman, Officer Impa, stepped out from what seemed to be the shadows. "George Harkinian, you are under arrest for the threatenings of murder, for blackmail, and for the abuse of your job."

Not only did the whole congregation gasp at this, but Zelda and I did too. Neither of us knew what went on at his work, but one would only suspect it was not exactly...legal. Suspicions were now confirmed.

"We got a tip from an anonymous person that there was a bunch of dirty work going on behind the scenes at your office and Sheik, the officer next to me, and I have been tailing you incognito ever since. I was just waiting for the right moment to make the official arrest. Now seems to be an appropriate time."

The room was not filled with any gasping, but whispering instead. "Silence!" Zelda's mother spoke up. "What are we going to do about the reception?"

Someone in the audience yelled, "Hey lady! They're making an arrest right now, and you're worried about the reception?" If only that person knew that the person who was being arrested was that lady's husband, which makes it so much more ironic!

Zelda stood up for her mother. "I think it is important that we all know what to expect next. I say we should still have the reception, but instead of honoring our divorce, we will celebrate the dark times that have passed!"

The congregation clapped and Mr. Harkinian was taken out of the room. "Then it's settled! The reception will take place immediately at Hyrule's Central Park, as printed on the invitation," Mrs. Harkinian announced. She didn't even seem to care about anything that was happening to her husband. Maybe she was being blackmailed in some way too?

As everybody started standing up and getting ready to leave the building, Zelda cried out, "Wait!" and everyone stopped what they were doing. "There's still one last thing we need to do!" She grabbed my hand and slid my ring back on. With everyone watching us, I drew her in for one big kiss. And this one was not going to be the last, either. The congregation did their signature thing and acted in unison as they all awed.

"I love you," I whispered to her as I pulled away.

"I love you more," she whispered back. "I'm glad you said something. Now we can finally have our happily ever after. The dark times are over."

Flash forward to our reception, everyone seemed just as content as they would have been if we were still getting divorced. The children played on the playground equipment not too far away, and many of the adults conversed with each other under the pavilion. Refreshments were none other than me and Zelda's treats from our bakery. Although the decorations still read, "Happy Divorce" and "Goodbye Love," I couldn't be any more happy.

A familiar sounding song played through the speakers. _The Ballad of the Goddess, _which couldn't have been any more appropriate for the occasion. I walked up to my wife, whom I was still happily married to, and asked, "May I have this dance?"

She giggled and nodded. We swayed with the music and I gazed into her eyes, which were actually covered in well-applied makeup. She smiled and whispered, "Midna's expecting me to cry again, so this time it's waterproof!"

I chuckled gaily. "I don't know why she didn't just do that in the first place."

I spun her under my arm and she laughed too. "Me neither! But at least this party has one less raccoon!"

"One less? Are there others?" I questioned.

Zelda shrugged. "During the car ride here, I guess it finally sunk in to my mother that her husband had been arrested. She told me and Midna, who was fixing my makeup at the time, that he physically abused her at home."

I stopped smiling and looked her dead in the eyes. "That's horrible! Hopefully she will be much happier this way!"

"I hope so. She was bawling as she was driving and we were worried she would wreck us, so as soon as Midna finished, we made her pull over and I took the wheel." One last thing I should explain. In Hylian tradition, as soon as the divorcement took place, the couple would ride in separate cars to their reception as a symbol of the start of their separation. We decided to still do this just for the heck of it.

The song ended and I embraced Zelda in a long hug. "Like you said earlier, the dark times are over now."

The next song that played was very upbeat and catchy and even some of the kids joined in for this song. The dancers were spread all throughout the field around the pavilion, for not all of us could fit under it. My buddy Groose (who actually was my old bully, but we're friends now) was certainly going all for it, during this song. I couldn't help but laugh until Zelda and I joined him.

The night was filled with lots more crazy dancing, bad singing, obnoxious laughing, and other strange sights. We would've eaten the divorce cake that we had actually baked ourselves, but a dog got loose from the dog park nearby and knocked it off of the table.

"It's a symbol that the divorce was not meant to be!" Someone exclaimed. Everyone cheered and then we all attacked the cookies instead. Zelda and I agreed that it was a sign and decided not to get mad that all of our hard work had just gotten destroyed. Everything was too perfect to ruin our moods.

On our last slow dance, Zelda pulled me out to the field away from everyone else and we danced together. "Link..." She trailed off.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No. Nothing's wrong. Just...different," she answered.

I let out a deep breath. For a second I was worried she might say, "Hold up! Stop! I changed my mind! I actually do want to divorce you, without the influence of my father!" I pushed that thought back and asked, "Different how?"

"Well right now, it's not so different, is it?" She asked in return, but it felt more like a statement. She was acting all anxious out of no where.

"No. Not really. We are still happily married. Well, I guess your father's going to prison, but..." I drew out.

Zelda took my hands off of her, and we stopped swaying with the music. "In a couple of months things are going to be very different."

Realization hit me. "You don't mean-?!" I asked excitedly.

Zelda smiled once she saw how excited I was. "Yep. I'm pregnant. I really am."

I stood there in shock and amazement. It was pretty awesome that she was pregnant, but why did she lie earlier when she told me? I decided to get up the nerve and I asked her that myself.

She tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. "When I told you earlier, I knew we would only use it as an excuse. I decided not to tell you it was true because I didn't want to add any more stress to the situation, but now it's all over."

I untucked the piece of hair behind my ear. "I'm so happy for you, er, for us! I'm gonna be a father! Now this explains why you've been crying so much!"

My wife smiled and laughed. I'm not sure if that was aimed toward my statement or because I had untucked my hair. "You can't tell anyone yet because it's still pretty early."

"I can keep my mouth shut!" I promised. "You don't have to treat me like a child!"

She rolled her eyes. "Sure I don't!" She tucked the same piece of hair behind my ear.

"Why are you doing that?" I asked her.

"I'm trying to decide whether I like your hair better in front or behind," Zelda explained. "I already decided I like it better without your stupid hat!"

My jaw dropped playfully. "My hat is not stupid! And if it weren't for the divorcement, I would still have it on!"

Zelda kissed my cheek. "But you look much nicer without it on. And I don't want our child thinking Daddy works as an elf!"

I gave in and laughed with her. We finished our dance together, and I could not help but think again just how lucky I was. After everything was cleaned up and the guests all left, we walked to the car. As we climbed in, I asked, "I don't really look like an elf with my hat on, do I?"

Zelda placed a hand on her belly and leaned back. "No! Of course not!" But something about her tone told me she was lying.

* * *

**Epilogue...of sorts. (Different character's POV)**

I manned the counter as my mom and dad were in the back making the baked goods. This was my first day doing it completely by myself, but my mom thought I could handle it. A wrinkled old man walked in and stood before me. His eyes were filled with sadness and regret and he walked as if something stronger than gravity were pulling him down. I could tell there was a heavy burden he wanted to relieve.

"Welcome to Zel and L's Bakery," I recited the greeting. I didn't admit to my parents that I practiced saying that in my bedroom for an hour yesterday, but I think they somehow knew. "What can I get for you today?"

The man eyed me strangely. "Why you're awfully young to be running the cash register. You can't be any older than 9!"

"Actually, sir," I corrected. "I'm turning 12 in a few days. I just inherited my dad's shortness." He nodded and eyeballed me in a way that made me feel uncomfortable. I hoped this guy wasn't a crazy. We already had one crazy earlier today! He had tried to convince me to buy one of his products instead of him buying our baked goods.

I cleared my throat. "Is there anything that I can get for you?"

"I've never been here before," he stated. "What do you recommend?"

I smiled. Perfect timing! My mom told me that if anyone bought the blueberry muffins I made, I could keep all of the profit. She told me to put it in the tip jar that I made for myself earlier.

"I'm a little bit biased," I admitted. "But I made some blueberry muffins this morning. My mom told me I could keep whatever money I make from them!"

He smiled at me, but still had a strange emptiness in his eyes. "That sounds lovely. I will take one of those!"

I pulled out a muffin from the display case. "That will be 1.99 rupees!" I told him excitedly.

"That muffin is much bigger than I was expecting, but I guess that just means I get to enjoy it more!" He said. "Can I eat it in here?"

I nodded. "We do have tables and chairs set up for a reason."

"I see," he noticed. "Very classy." He paid me exactly 1.99 rupees and gave a 3 rupee tip! When he sat down he bit into the muffin and made sounds of enjoyment. "Mmm! I never realized how good a muffin could be!"

I thanked him for the polite comment and he stared at me again. "You're Link and Zelda's daughter, correct?"

"Uh, yeah," I told him, thinking that that was pretty clear.

"Would you like to hear how to really run a business?" He offered. "Come over here and I'll tell you all about it!" The way he beckoned me over scared me.

My heart started to race. "I think I'll go talk to my parents first." I casually walked into the kitchen area of the bakery, then ran up to my mother. "Mom! There's another crazy out there!"

"Again?" My mom questioned. "That's the second one today and it's not even noon!"

"Summer always brings out the crazies," my dad noted as he pulled something out of the oven.

"I'll go handle it," my mom told him. She walked out with me and looked at the old man sitting at the table. She walked in front of the counter and over to his table. When he looked up at her, she froze in her tracks.

"Dad?" She finally asked. "Is that really you?"

I furrowed my brows. Mom told me that her dad was in prison for doing some awful things. She never told me what though. "Didn't you say he was in prison?" I went ahead and asked.

Mom nodded and spoke without taking her eyes off of her dad. "Yeah. That's what I thought too. Why are you here instead of...there?"

He laughed and I could see how visibly uncomfortable seeing her father like this made Mom. "My sentence was only for 12 years!"

"Has it already been that long?" She asked.

He nodded. "A little bit more than that actually. I'm a changed person. I promise."

My mom continued to stare at the man. "Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to see how the business was going! And it's still going after 13 years, so I'm sure it's been pretty successful!" He explained. "May I see your husband?"

"Link!" Mom called for my dad.

"What?" He replied.

"Someone's here to see you!"

Dad walked out of the kitchen and over to Mom. He didn't seem to recognize the man at first, but after a second he did. "Mr. Harkinian?"

Mr. Harkinian (I'm not really sure what to refer to him. Calling your mom's criminal dad, "Grandpa" seems a little strange!) nodded. "I just want to congratulate you on your business, your marriage, and your child. You guys are doing something right."

Dad didn't say anything, but he stood there and looked confused. "I'm a changed man," Mr. Harkinian explained. "I am glad you and Zelda stayed married after all."

"Thanks," was all he could muster.

The man smiled and looked over at me. "Remember when I asked you if you wanted to know how to really run a business?" My parents shared a nervous glance. "You do exactly as your parents are doing. Full-heartedly, honestly, and happily. That's how you run a successful business."

My mother beckoned me to come out from behind the counter. I did as she wanted. "I think there's a story we need to share," she told me.

Dad agreed. "One that we probably should've shared a long time ago."

"What do you mean?" I asked them.

"This is the story of how they almost got divorced!" Mr. Harkinian chimed in.

I looked at my mom then at my dad. "What?!"

"Uh, we weren't going to share _that_ story," Dad told him.

Mr. Harkinian looked genuinely surprised and sorry. "Whoops! I didn't mean-"

"I'm just kidding!" He teased.

"If you're going to be a part of the family again, you'll have put up with his obnoxious jokes," Mom explained.

"My jokes are not obnoxious!" He countered.

I still was shocked to hear that my parents had almost gotten divorced. "I just wanna hear the story!"

"I was combing my hair for the millionth time when my friend Pipit walked in," my father started. Mom gave him a weird look and told him that he should start from the very beginning. And so he did.

**THE END**

* * *

**This is idea seemed so stupid at first, I didn't think it would make it out of the notebook, but surprisingly, it turned out to be a cute little story! I hope you all enjoyed it, and be sure to review/favorite! :) Also be sure to check out "Light Has a Shadow" and "Triforce Protectors," which I am currently writing!**

**Thanks for reading! :) **


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